1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to printhead assemblies for use in thermal printers. More particularly, the invention relates to the assembly or attachment of thermal printheads within thermal printer housings.
2. Description of Related Art
Thermal printers require that a thermal printhead be oriented and maintained in close proximity to print media during printing so that the printhead may heat a thermal transfer ribbon to cause coloration to be transferred to the print media or, alternatively, to directly heat regions of thermal contact media, thereby causing the contact media to change color. The printheads are typically joined with heat sinks to provide for heat dissipation, and the joined parts are typically positioned within a printer housing such that a print media may be moved within the housing relative to the printhead. Alternatively, the printhead may be movable within the housing with respect to the print media, or both printhead and media may be movable.
The printhead may be fastened within the printer housing in a number of ways. For instance, the printhead may be integrated with mechanical or electronic components within the housing, or the printhead may be fastened to a subframe within the printer housing. Most typically, the printhead is affixed to the printer housing using one or more brackets. For instance, in clamshell-type printer housings (i.e. housings having a base portion and lid portion that are hingably connected to one another), the printhead is affixed by brackets to the lid of the housing and a platen is affixed to the base of the housing such that the printhead and platen are positioned adjacent to one another when the housing is closed. This arrangement is advantageous because the region between the printhead and platen may be easily accessed by opening the housing, facilitating removal of print media or other printer maintenance.
Direct attachment of the printhead to electronic or mechanical components is often problematic due to added process steps required to attach or replace the printhead. Similarly, the use of traditional brackets to attach a printhead to the housing or sub-frame of a printer is problematic because of added complexity and production and assembly costs associated with fixing a printhead within the brackets. Further, replacement of a printhead typically involves removal of screws, brackets, or other hardware used to hold the printhead in place, thereby making it difficult for an end user to replace a printhead.
It would therefore be advantageous to have an improved printhead assembly that would allow the printhead to be more easily installed and replaced within a thermal printer. It would be further advantageous if the improved assembly reduced time and cost associated with installation of the printhead.